


The Sculptor and the Statue

by lonely_no_more



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Greek Mythology, F/F, implied mikaani if you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-07
Updated: 2018-06-07
Packaged: 2019-05-19 10:28:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14872025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lonely_no_more/pseuds/lonely_no_more
Summary: Ymir was a sculptor by trade. She paid attention to every detail, made sure that gestures had weight and tight embraces pressed into the skin. It wasn’t an easy life but she loved it regardless.





	The Sculptor and the Statue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DaniJayNel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaniJayNel/gifts).



Ymir was a sculptor by trade. She paid attention to every detail, made sure that gestures had weight and tight embraces pressed into the skin. It wasn’t an easy life but she loved it regardless. 

In her spare time, she worked on a piece exclusively for herself. At first it had only been something she could do to relax. But then the features began to take shape under her hands and she spent more and more time pouring her heart into it. She’d sworn off human affection- too much pain, she told herself. As she was beginning to get the details of the ivory set and the folds of the clothing began to look more real, Ymir heard footsteps entering her workshop. She turned, ready to snap until she saw who it was. “Oh. Annie. What’re you doing here? Shouldn’t you be devoting your time to the worship of your goddess?” Her lips curled into a smirk as she saw Annie’s cheeks grow slightly pink and she continued, “Perhaps your devotion lies deeper than that of a priestess for her goddess…and more in the bed, yeah?”

Annie growled, “Be quiet, you fuck, I came to bring you food. No one has seen you leave this godforsaken place in days.” She set the cloth bag down near the door and approached, her eyes wandering the statue. “Lifelike, isn’t she?”

“Better than any mortal woman,” Ymir replied coolly. 

“Can’t argue with that…” Annie stated, “You know, Aphrodite’s festival is approaching soon.” 

There was a long pause as Ymir looked at her friend and she asked, “And? What of it?”

“Perhaps you could pray to her and she would grant you a woman like your statue,” Annie suggested lightly. She smirked. “Unless, of course, you’d rather throw your arms around cold ivory every day.”

Ymir began to get to her feet when another shadow nearly filled the doorway. In a chiton with light armor over it stood the soldier that Ymir had seen Annie walking around with. Her cold, grey eyes sent a shiver down Ymir’s spine, as if there was something inhuman about this woman. It wasn’t until the woman looked away and in Annie’s direction instead that she spoke. “Well, I must be popular today. First, Athena’s little priestess and now a soldier. How did I get so blessed?” she huffed sarcastically. 

Mikasa’s eyes rose to the statue and her brows shot up. Smoothly, she announced, “Well, Athena must’ve smiled on you. Your gift for sculpting is impressive.” As she entered the room properly, it was almost as if the room lit up with her presence and Ymir could’ve sworn there was some kind of glow emitting from her pale skin. She reached out and before Ymir could stop her, Mikasa’s fingers touched the ivory. “It clings like real fabric. Her proportions are striking.” She wandered around the statue to marvel at it. All the while, her fingers traced the peplos dress. “A great gift indeed.” 

“I appreciate the compliment but I’d also appreciate it if you’d _take your hand off of her_ ,” Ymir stated, her voice low and threatening. 

Though Annie looked as though she were going to snap, Mikasa pulled her hand away and her lips curled into a smirk. “By all means,  _Ymir_.” As she turned back towards the door, she announced, “Be careful though.” She added, “Doing so much for one object and then offending the goddess who gave you the gift might do you great harm.” Then, she reached out for Annie and took her hand. “Let’s go then. I’m going to see what I can do for your father’s leg.” 

Right before they left, Annie cast one more glance at Ymir and then followed the soldier, leaving Ymir feeling a bit shaken. Despite the warning given by Mikasa, a feeling that began to settle in Ymir’s gut told her that she may very well have offended Athena already. 

* * *

She threw herself into her work, wanting to finish the statue in time for Aphrodite’s festival. It was almost as if she were in a frenzy, driven by the desire to see her ivory girl finished so she could take in every feature at once. It was the day before Aphrodite’s festival began when she finally finished it. 

Her fingers brushed the soft curve of the jaw. She gazed into unseeing eyes and imagined how blue and filled with love that they’d be. “Historia,” Ymir whispered. “That’s your name. Historia.” She cupped the cold, ivory cheeks in her hands and felt a new feeling stir to life in her soul. Ymir wished, more than anything in that very moment, that she was real. It made her heart ache, realizing then that she’d fallen in love with her ivory girl. All the work and passion she’d poured into her meant nothing because she knew that the statue could not love her back. 

Ymir hardly slept that night. Instead, she prepared offerings for Aphrodite, planning on praying to the goddess. And the next day, she did. In Aphrodite’s temple, surrounded everywhere by flowers and incense and other offerings, Ymir laid her own and prayed. She prayed but felt too scared to admit her true wish. How could she ask a goddess to turn a statue of ivory into a living, breathing person? 

“Aphrodite, goddess of love and all things beautiful in the world…” Ymir paused. She had never been an overly religious person but did feel some kind of connection to Aphrodite. “Please, give me a bride just like my ivory girl. Please.”

It was like something changed, instantly. Something inside of Ymir felt lighter and she left the temple as the festival started to die down, planning to go back to her workshop one more time before attempting some real sleep. As she entered, there stood Historia on the pedestal that Ymir had so carefully carved, right where she left her. Her heart ached at the sight. Still, she got closer and looked into features she’d come to love more than anything. 

Hesitantly, shyly, she leaned in and pressed her lips to the cold ivory. That is, until she realized the ivory was far from cold. It was warm- very warm. Shocked at the change, Ymir cupped her cheeks and leaned into kiss her again, finding that the ivory was no longer hard and had become malleable under her lips. Soft hands touched her arms and when Ymir pulled back, she saw the clearest blue eyes staring at her, wide and filled with wonder. “Historia…”

“Yes?” she asked. Her voice was more beautiful than any song Ymir had ever heard. 

“Aphrodite must’ve known what I really wanted,” Ymir whispered, more to herself than to Historia. Her hands gently moved, going to rest on Historia’s hips. “You’re alive.”

“Because of you,” Historia replied, her lips curling into a smile. “I’m living for you.”

“No,” Ymir retorted, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes, “no, we’re going to live for each other. Just you and me.” 

Historia nodded. “Yeah. Just you and me.” 


End file.
